SENATOR SMITH: At that time that telegram was sent did you know the actual condition of the Titanic?
MR. FRANKLIN: What is the time of that telegram? I think we ought to fix that question of time. It is headed 8:27 p.m. At 8:27 p.m. on Monday I knew that the Titanic sank at 2:20 a.m.
SENATOR SMITH: Monday morning?
MR. FRANKLIN: Monday morning.
SENATOR SMITH: When did you first get that information, and from whom?
MR. FRANKLIN: That date ought to be fixed.
MR. BURLINGHAM: That may be the date of the receipt.
MR. FRANKLIN: I am taking that hour. In replying to the question I am using that hour. Would you like me to give you a statement, to the best of my ability, of how we heard and when we heard and what we did?
SENATOR SMITH: I would, from the first. If you have any memoranda or any of the telegrams I wish you would have them marked for identification and filed with the committee.
MR. FRANKLIN: I would like to put them right in the record.
SENATOR SMITH: Go ahead.
MR. FRANKLIN: At about 2 minutes of 2 on Monday morning I was aroused by the telephone bell ringing. I went to the telephone, and a reporter ­ I could not tell from what paper ­ said that they had just heard that the Titanic was sinking, and that she had sent out a call for assistance. I asked them how they had gotten this message, and they told me that they had received it through the steamship Virginian and from Montreal. I immediately called up our dock and asked them if they had heard anything at all. They told me that several reporters had called them up.
SENATOR SMITH: Where were you at this time?
MR. FRANKLIN: At my own house, No. 41 East Sixty­first Street. They told me the reporters had been trying to give them some information about the Titanic. I said, "Have you heard anything authentic about the Titanic?" He told me "no." I then called up the Associated Press, the office of the Associated Press; they reported to me practically about what the reporter had told me. I then asked them whether they could not hold the matter and not give out such an alarming report until they could see whether it could be confirmed. They said, "No; it has gone out." I then called up Montreal on the long­distance telephone. I got our representative on the telephone in Montreal and asked him if he could not get the Allan Line office and find out if this could be confirmed, and what they had, and call me on the telephone immediately. I then called up about four or five of our own people and told them I had this information. I wanted to get in touch with them and have them stand by. I got Mr. Ridgeway, the head of our steamship department, who lived in Brooklyn, and I asked him to at once go out and send a Marconigram to the captain of the Olympic. I did not want to alarm the captain of the Olympic. So all I asked in the telegram was, "Can you get the position of the Titanic? Wire us immediately her position." I can read you that telegram. I then asked all of our important people to immediately report at the office. When we got to the office. When we got to the office the first thing that I found there was this memorandum. [Reading from memorandum:]
Titanic. Received from Associated Press from Cape Race 3:05 a.m. Monday, April 15. 10:25 p.m. E.S.T., Titanic called C.Q.D.; reported having struck iceberg and required assistance. Half an hour afterwards, reported that they were sinking by the head. Women were being put off in boats and weather calm and clear. Gave position as 41.46 north, 50.14 west. Stop this station. Notified Allan liner Virginian, who immediately advised he was proceeding toward scene of disaster. Stop. Virginian at midnight stated was about 170 miles distant from Titanic and expected reach there about 10 a.m. Olympic at 4:24 a.m. G.M.T. in latitude 40.32 north, longitude 61.18 west, was in direct communication with Titanic and is now making all haste toward her. Baltic, at 1:15 a.m. E.S.T. reported himself as about 200 miles east of Titanic, and was also making towards her. Last signals from Titanic were heard by Virginian at 12:25 a.m. E.S.T. He reported them blurred and ending abruptly.
Then we worked out the positions. In the first place, I received before leaving the house a reply from Montreal, saying that the Allan Line, unfortunately confirmed the record. We worked out the positions then to the best of our ability, and the Titanic we found 1,080 miles from New York, about 600 miles from Halifax; the Olympic we found in our opinion to be about 364 miles from the Titanic, and the Baltic was away.
SENATOR SMITH: How did you find the location of these various ships?
MR. FRANKLIN: We worked out the Olympic roughly in our own minds.
SENATOR SMITH: On a scale?
MR. FRANKLIN: We had the chart.
SENATOR SMITH: And from the chart you worked them out? But did any of these ships report their exact location?
MR. FRANKLIN: We had no communication at that time from any ship or anybody which in our opinion was authentic. We had numerous rumors from all sources.
SENATOR SMITH: Did they pretend to give you their location?
MR. FRANKLIN: They did not. I will read you the first message sent to the Olympic, the one I referred to a few minutes ago. This was sent at 3 a.m.:
Make every effort to communicate Titanic and advise position and time. Reply to Ismay, New York.
SENATOR SMITH: Please say to whom that was addressed.
MR. FRANKLIN: To Haddock, Olympic.
SENATOR SMITH: Please give the date.
MR. FRANKLIN: April 15, 3 a.m.
SENATOR SMITH: And give the hour in each case. Now, in order that we may be sure the committee understands that, please read that again.
MR. FRANKLIN: This was our first endeavor to communicate with any of our steamers, and the first attempt that we know, either one way or the other. This was our telegram to Capt. Haddock, of the Olympic, sent at 3 a.m. on April 15, as follows: Make every effort to communicate Titanic and advise position and time. Reply to Ismay, New York.
The telegram was sent from Brooklyn by Mr. F. W. Ridgway. I telephoned it to him and asked him to go right out and send it.
SENATOR SMITH: Proceed.
SENATOR FLETCHER: Where was Capt. Haddock ­ where was the Olympic?
MR. FRANKLIN: The Olympic had sailed from New York Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock bound east.
SENATOR SMITH: What was the position of the boat?
MR. FRANKLIN: I can only give you our estimate of the position which, at 3 o'clock, was 320 miles east of Sandy Hook and about 360 miles, in our estimate, from the Titanic.
SENATOR SMITH: Proceed.
MR. FRANKLIN: All during the morning ­ from that time on­­
SENATOR SMITH: Monday morning?
MR. FRANKLIN: Monday morning. We were endeavoring to communicate or get some information from Montreal, from Halifax, from the various papers, and we wired to the commander of the Olympic: Keep us fully posted regarding Titanic. That was 6:05 a.m. We had received no reply from him at all. Then we got a telegram from the Olympic:
Since midnight, when her position was 41.46 north, 50.14 west, have been unable to communicate. We are now 310 miles from her, 9 a.m., under full power. Will inform you at once if hear anything. Commander.
SENATOR SMITH: Did you understand from that that they were headed toward the Titanic?
MR. FRANKLIN: I understood that they were headed toward the Titanic, without any question. That was 9 a.m.
SENATOR SMITH: Monday?
MR. FRANKLIN: Monday, 310 miles from the Titanic.
SENATOR SMITH: Proceed.
MR. FRANKLIN: We followed that with a telegram, as follows: Can you ascertain damage Titanic?
SENATOR SMITH: What hour was that?
MR. FRANKLIN: That is not the original of that. There is no hour on that, but that was sent in the morning.
SENATOR SMITH: Sent by whom?
MR. FRANKLIN: That was sent by me.
SENATOR SMITH: Had you no information at that time regarding the sinking of the Titanic?
MR. FRANKLIN: Absolutely none; most emphatically. I have read you off the first telegram from Haddock. Now this is the second telegram.
SENATOR SMITH: Give the date and hour.
MR. FRANKLIN: April 15. We do not know what hour this was received, but it was after noon. It was between 12 and 1 o'clock, or around 1 o'clock. That could probably be traced ­ exactly when that was delivered to us.
Parisian reports Carpathia in attendance and picked up 20 boats of passengers and Baltic returning to give assistance. Position not given.
SENATOR SMITH: Position of Baltic not given?
MR. FRANKLIN: Position of Baltic not given. This message was received along about 1 o'clock.
SENATOR SMITH: Signed by whom?
MR. FRANKLIN: Signed by Haddock.
SENATOR SMITH: All right, proceed.
MR. FRANKLIN: We replied to that as follows:
April 15, 1912 HADDOCK, Olympic:
Thanks your message. We have received nothing from Titanic, but rumored here that she proceeding slowly Halifax, but we can not confirm this. We expect Virginian alongside Titanic; try and communicate her.
SENATOR SMITH: Who signed that?
MR. FRANKLIN: I did.
SENATOR SMITH: What hour was that?
MR. FRANKLIN: That was in reply to the other message, immediately after we got it. It must have been about 2 o'clock­­­
SENATOR SMITH: Capt. Haddock's message?
MR. FRANKLIN: Yes. About 2 o'clock, I would say.
SENATOR SMITH: Tell the committee upon what rumor you based that statement.
MR. FRANKLIN: We based that statement on rumors that we were having from all sources. The press and telegrams from Montreal; but nothing we could put our hands on as being authentic at any time.
SENATOR SMITH: Had you not received anything from the Carpathia at that time?
MR. FRANKLIN: No, sir; we had not heard of the Carpathia up to that time at all ­ except this Haddock telegram.
SENATOR SMITH: Let us see what you based that rumor on?
MR. FRANKLIN: I do not know that I could tell exactly on what I based that. I might by going through those telegrams.
SENATOR SMITH: I wish you would go through them and tell us what you based that on.
MR. FRANKLIN: We had it from all sources ­ from the newspapers particularly.
SENATOR SMITH: And it was rumor merely?
MR. FRANKLIN: Absolutely. We announced it to everybody that these were rumors, but we could not confirm them, and that we had nothing authentic but one message from Capt. Haddock.
SENATOR SMITH: Did you confer with Mr. Marconi during the early morning of Monday, personally?
MR. FRANKLIN: No, sir; I never conferred with Mr. Marconi.
SENATOR SMITH: Do you know whether any messages went from the Marconi office or from the White Star office to the Carpathia enjoining secrecy until they were in communication with you?
MR. FRANKLIN: We know absolutely nothing about such a communication; had nothing to do with it, if it was sent.
SENATOR SMITH: Do you know whether such a communication was sent?
MR. FRANKLIN: I do not know anything about it.
SENATOR SMITH: Have you ever conferred with Mr. Marconi about it?
MR. FRANKLIN: I never have mentioned it­­­
SENATOR SMITH: Or Mr. Sammis?
MR. FRANKLIN: No.
SENATOR SMITH: Or the operator of the Carpathia?
MR. FRANKLIN: No; I never talked to either one of the two gentlemen in my life.
SENATOR SMITH: Neither with the captain nor the operator nor an officer of any other ship?
MR. FRANKLIN: Never. Our whole effort ­ I would like to say this ­ was to get the Carpathia to give us the names of the passengers, of the people aboard the Carpathia. That is the only thing we wanted, and we were pressing for that all the time.
SENATOR SMITH: That is wherever she was bound, and under whatever circumstances?
MR. FRANKLIN: We tried to get it through the Olympic. We told the Olympic to stand by her and pass it along to us.
SENATOR SMITH: Proceed.
MR. FRANKLIN: I had better get back to the cables, had I not? This message that I have just read is as follows:
April 15, 1912. HADDOCK, Olympic:
Thanks your message. We have received nothing from Titanic, but rumored here that she proceeding slowly Halifax, but we can not confirm this. We expect Virginian alongside Titanic. Try and communicate her.
SENATOR SMITH: Are you giving the dates and hours?
MR. FRANKLIN: I have not the dates on this, but on the next one I have. The next is 2:40, which shows this must have been before 2:40.
SENATOR SMITH: And what is the signature?
MR. FRANKLIN: This is signed "Franklin." Now, our next telegram was to Haddock.
MR. BURLINGHAM: Give the hour.
SENATOR SMITH: Give the hour in each case and who signs it, whether by name or cipher or initial.
MR. FRANKLIN: I will give them in the order they are here.
April 15, 1912. ­ 2:40 p.m. HADDOCK, Olympic:
Endeavor ascertain where Ismay is. Advise me and convey him deepest sympathy from us all. FRANKLIN.
SENATOR SMITH: What hour is that?
MR. FRANKLIN: 2:40 in the afternoon.
SENATOR SMITH: And addressed to whom?
MR. FRANKLIN: Capt. Haddock.
SENATOR SMITH: And signed by whom?
MR. FRANKLIN: Signed by "Franklin."
SENATOR SMITH: Do not forget to give the date, the hour, the name, and the signature in each case.
MR. BURLINGHAM: I suggest you start by saying, "From so­and­so," and to "So­and­so."
MR. FRANKLIN: The difficulty is that these are not in order exactly.
SENATOR SMITH: Take your time and give the date and hour and name in each case.
MR. FRANKLIN: The trouble about it is that they are not all in order. Here is a Marconigram, dated April 15, 1912.
SENATOR SMITH: From New York?
MR. FRANKLIN: New York.
April 15, 1912. HADDOCK, Olympic:
Do utmost to ascertain immediately and advise us fully disposition Titanic's passengers and where they will be landed.
SENATOR SMITH: Signed by whom?
MR. FRANKLIN: "Franklin." I think the best way to do it is to get the time these telegrams were filed ­ a statement from the Marconi company or the Postal Telegraph Co. here ­ the time they were filed with them, to confirm these.
SENATOR SMITH: That is all right; but we had better take what the telegrams show, in so far as they do show anything.
MR. FRANKLIN: The only trouble is they have not the times on them.
SENATOR SMITH: In so far as they do show the dates and hours, give us whatever the telegrams contain.
MR. FRANKLIN: Now, at about 6:20 or 6:30 p.m., April 15, the following telegram was handed to me.
SENATOR SMITH: By whom, and where were you?
MR. FRANKLIN: Handed to me by Mr. Toppin at No. 9 Broadway.
SENATOR SMITH: Who is he?
MR. FRANKLIN: Assistant to the vice president. The record here shows this was received at 6:16 p.m. This is addressed to Ismay, New York, and is as follows:
